Wolfson, 84, died Monday in New York following a short illness, according to media reports.

A world renowned philanthropist, Wolfson helped spread Torah through kollel and outreach programs with many catering specifically to secular Jews in an effort to bring them closer to traditional Judaism.

Wolfson was born in Vilna, Poland in 1928 and immigrated to America at the age of 17 with his mother and his young brother. He immediately went to work, while sending his brother to yeshiva. In his twenties, he amassed a significant wealth through his investments in real estate.

For many decades, Wolfson focused on furthering Jewish education, helping to develop and maintain yeshivas, Bais Yaakov girls’ schools, day schools and other projects all over the world, including the United States, Israel, France, Morocco and Russia, reported Matzav.com.

Wolfson was known for his close relationship with many prominent rabbis, and his wife Nechama, who founded the Shalom Task Force twenty years ago, is well known for her efforts to combat domestic violence within the Jewish community.

He was buried Tuesday in Israel.

JTA

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